ÉLIZABETH SONREL (1874-1953)

[THE SEASONS]. Group of 4 posters. Circa 1900.

Each approximately 17x12 inches, 43¼x32½ cm.
Condition varies, generally A- / B+: small losses, tears and time-staining in margins. Paper.

Élizabeth Sonrel was a painter who exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français (winning the bronze medal in their 1900 exhibition). She was also under contract with the printer Champenois, who, together with Alphonse Mucha, invented the genre of decorative panels. In addition to Mucha, Champenois employed many artists to design these panels; Sonrel was his favorite and one of the best, as indicated by the six francs Champenois charged for her panels, which was comparable to price charged for panels by Mucha. She brought her own style to her projects, which, while more academic and less sensuous than Mucha's, are always very delicate, with careful attention to details and a good sense of color. She created many sets of panels with the same themes as Mucha, "The Seasons," and "The Flowers," and also came up with ideas of her own, like "The Birds." These four seasons are elaborate compositions with a mixture of floral elements that surround antique-inspired portraits of young ladies. A tour-de-force of French Art Nouveau.